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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25535479">As fair as summer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/naivesilver/pseuds/naivesilver'>naivesilver</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Actual Baby Charmy, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Not Beta Read, Parenthood, Pre-Canon, Slice of Life, extremely self indulgent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:00:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>968</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25535479</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/naivesilver/pseuds/naivesilver</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The silence catches him off guard, for a second: the last thing he ever expects from Vector and Charmy is for them to be quiet.</i>
</p>
<p>A snapshot of how the Chaotix spend hot summer days.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Espio the Chameleon/Vector the Crocodile</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>As fair as summer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Espio is greeted by silence when he steps inside the house.</p>
<p>It catches him off guard, for a second: the last thing he ever expects from Vector and Charmy is for them to be quiet. He wonders, briefly, if they might have left while he was running errands, but it’s unlikely – it’s too hot outside for any grown up, nevermind an eight-months-old bee. It might be one of the warmest summers of the last few years, from what they’ve seen thus far. Even the short trip to the grocery store and back was enough to leave Espio breathless, for all that his species hails in part from far more tropical areas.</p>
<p>It’s not much better inside, since they can’t afford any form of air conditioning, but at least the sunlight is not glaring in his eyes anymore. The blinds are shut, instead, creating a dark, somewhat subdued atmosphere: it takes some adjusting to, and Espio is left blinking in the sudden shade, fumbling as he puts down the grocery bags.</p>
<p>Once he’s shut the door behind his back, though, cutting off both the heat and any noise coming in from the street, something else cuts through the silence. It sounds like someone speaking – no, not speaking. It’s more of a high-pitched, incoherent babble, and it comes from the bedroom, whose door has been left slightly ajar.</p>
<p>Espio’s lips curl in a small smile and he leaves the bags be, instead moving quietly towards the noise. He opens the door carefully and then stops, cocking his head to the side in confusion as he takes in the scene before him.</p>
<p>It’s cooler in there – the window has been thrown open, and a slight breeze filters in, a welcome reprieve even for Espio’s clammy skin. Vector is laying on his belly on the bed, head pillowed on his crossed arms, eyes closed. Beside him sits Charmy, clad only in his diaper, poking and prodding at the scales on the crocodile’s back as he chatters mindlessly to himself. Vector’s tail twists and twitches lazily, the only sign that he’s probably just resting and not sleeping, as Espio had thought at first: Charmy’s eyes travel to its tip every now and again, and the kid makes an aborted motion towards it, at times, but quickly loses interest once he realizes it’s too far out of his reach.</p>
<p>It's such a ridiculously sweet picture that Espio almost doesn’t want to move any closer, afraid he might disturb it. He even takes half a step back, but Charmy catches the movement in the corner of his eye and turns to see who’s just come in. He grins, all pink gums and deceptively charming dimples, when he notices it’s Espio, and then lets out a delighted shriek that startles Vector and prompts him to open his eyes.</p>
<p>The crocodile looks up somewhat groggily, straining to focus on the figure in the doorframe. “You’re back already?”</p>
<p>“It’s been an hour at least.” Caught in his act, Espio has no choice but to step closer to the bed. “I thought you were supposed to be doing the dishes while I was out.”</p>
<p>It’s not a casual reprimand, for once – they drew straws, to determine who would venture out in the scorching heat and who would stay inside and do the rest of the chores. Espio lost: he’s pretty sure Vector cheated, and it would drive him up the wall, usually, but it’s too hot to work oneself up so much. Besides, he doesn’t mind so much…so long as those dishes actually get washed up and stashed away.</p>
<p>“I did. Most of them, anyway. ‘S too bloody hot to do more than that,” Vector says, assuaging him some, and then stretches, letting out a satisfied groan as the bones in his arms and legs pop loudly. “Besides, I was busy. Got to keep the little mite entertained.”</p>
<p>Espio cocks an eyebrow, not impressed in the slightest. “He looks like he’s been entertaining himself well enough.”</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s not easy being a glorified jungle gym, alright,” Vector huffs, undeterred. “All those childrearing books you got say it’s best to keep them active, and this one hasn’t stopped moving around in ages. An athletics prodigy, he’ll be, if he keeps up his pace.”</p>
<p>As if on cue, Charmy finally manages to grab a hold of one of Vector’s back spines and pull himself up. He stands upright for a handful of seconds, small face scrunched up in concentration, feet digging into the mattress and wings fluttering as though trying to keep the balance, before the flitting tail catches his attention once more and he falls back on his bottom when he tries to lunge at it.</p>
<p>Vector lets out a triumphant whoop. “See?”</p>
<p>Espio scoffs, shaking his head, but it comes across fonder than he thought it would be. “You just got your back covered by a baby. Are you proud?”</p>
<p>“Ha! Yes, because it worked.” Vector grins smugly, grabbing at Espio’s hand and pulling him down to sit next to them on the bed. “You can’t resist us.”</p>
<p>Espio wants to roll his eyes, to tell him to stop playing around as if he were a child as well, but there’s something about the whole ordeal that makes him pause in his tracks. Something warm, warmer even than the blinding sun outside, that settles in his chest as he watches Vector smile up at him, so similar to Charmy’s own smile from just a few minutes past, albeit larger and with far more rows of teeth.</p>
<p>“Alright” he says, defeated, and he leans on Vector bulky, comfortingly familiar shape. “You’re right. You win.”</p>
<p>And then, even as he relishes in the rumble of the crocodile’s laugh against his skin:</p>
<p>“But you’ve still got to finish doing the dishes.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I only realized this has some similarities to a fic I've already posted while I was checking it for grammar mistakes, but you know what? It's fine. When I'm upset I write cuddly babies doing their thing and I'm proud of my life choices. <br/>Also this was written and edited in an afternoon to cheer myself up, so if you find any typos please tell me! Thank you! Wagonloads of love!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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